Beauty pillow

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a pillow for supporting a head and neck of a reclining body on a mattress where the pillow has a pillow length, a pillow width and a pillow thickness. The pillow includes a core extending with the thickness along the pillow length and the pillow width with cavities in the core, includes a core cover and includes fastening means extending into and fastening the cover at the cavity locations to form wells for supporting the head and neck with comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to pillows generally for use on a bed to support a head and neck for sleeping, more particularly to improved pillows having therapeutic and cosmetic properties and improved pillows that enhance the quality of sleep.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pillows in common use for many years have a number of limitations. The downward force and pressure caused by the weight of a person's head and neck on facial tissue and facial skin in contact with such pillows is considerable, causing local stretching, reduction or cessation of capillary blood flow and deformation of the skin. Over a period of years, these factors accelerate wrinkling of the skin and contribute to the visible effects of ageing.

Similarly, the outer surfaces of the ears are crushed by the weight of the head when a person using a pillow lies to the side, contributing to cessation of capillary blood flow and the incidence of bacterial and fungal ear infections, morning wax deafness, ear ache and gradual deformation and wrinkling of the pinna (the outer ear formed of cartilage covered by skin) and sleep disruption due to forced position change.

In addition, existing pillows provide uneven support to the head and neck causing muscular strain of the neck and back and causing general night unrest. Sleepers adopt a side or face down position during sleep in an effort to conform to the support areas of a pillow, spending disproportionately little time sleeping in a supine position. This tendency can accelerate degeneration of the spine associated with ageing, particularly in the neck region, even causing reflected back pain and degradation extending down to the lumbar region. Indeed, neck injury and pain commonly result from improper support while sleeping. Similarly, in an attempt to match personal anatomy to a pillow, many people adopt unnatural sleeping positions with arms and hands used to provide head support, which leads to discomfort and joint degeneration, and even arthritis, in the hands, elbows and shoulders.

Although a variety of pillow sizes and shapes are available, they often do not match an individual's anatomy and natural sleep habits. In an attempt to address some of these deficiencies, various pillow designs have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,380 entitled A STABLE CERVICAL PILLOW WITH DEPRESSIONS FOR A USER'S EAR invented by Roger A. Sramek, an inventor of the present invention, discloses a pillow, clinically tested at Stanford University Center For Human Sleep Research, which reduces the incidence of morning wrinkles and permanent skin wrinkling, which prevents ear compression and which provides anatomically correct cervical and head support. That pillow supports the head and neck of a person and includes a resilient pillow body with an adjustable-height head rest. The head rest includes a central depression in the pillow body and a plurality of head-height adjustment shims which fit into the central depression. The pillow body has a resilient upper portion with a plurality of depressions on a top face for receiving the person's ears.

While U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,380 in some respects has desirable features, pillows marketed with such features have had a non-standard appearance resulting from a contoured shape and a narrow width. Such pillows have been made from urethane foam and other resilient man-made and natural materials that provide firm and aligned support and vastly improve the quality of sleep. While such pillows attempted to support the head and neck with adequate musculoskeletal position and alignment, the irregular appearance, the overly firm and non-washable material, the high cost and other problems made such pillows unsatisfactory.

One urethane foam pillow having features described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,380 has been manufactured by National Sleep Products and sold by Sealy Posturepedic. That pillow has a urethane foam core measuring 24×10×6 inches. However, the irregular appearance, the overly firm and non-washable material, the high cost and other problems made such pillows unsatisfactory.

A polyurethane foam pillow having features described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,380 has been sold by Brookstone. That pillow has a foam core measuring 25.5×13×5.5 inches. However, the irregular appearance, the overly firm and non-washable material, the high cost and other problems made such pillows unsatisfactory.

A shredded polyurethane foam pillow has been sold by My Pillow, Inc. That pillow has a core measuring 28×18.5×7 inches. That pillow is made from a variety of foam pieces including foam pieces of different sizes and irregular shapes. The pillow is advertised as being covered by U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,424 B2. That pillow relies on the user to adjust the pillow to an “exact custom fit that molds to the body”. Although the user may initially find a comfortable position, the normal turning of a user during sleep causes the musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure to become distorted and uncomfortable. The resulting discomfort interferes with the user's quality of sleep. The supposed benefits of the pillow are lost and do not achieve a comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure that last through the night or other sleep period. Furthermore, the foam pieces of different sizes and irregular shapes tend to form pressure points that press against the soft tissue portions of the face and head causing wrinkles and redness of the skin. Experience has shown that the advertised benefits, to the extent present, are not long lasting through the sleep period.

A polyester pillow has been made by American Textile Company. That pillow has a core measuring 28×20×8 inches. Although that pillow is low cost, washable, and regular in appearance, that pillow does not have the beneficial features described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,380.

A down pillow has been made by Blue Ridge Home Fashion. That pillow has a core measuring 28×20×7 inches. Although that pillow is soft, washable, and regular in appearance, that pillow does not have the beneficial features described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,380.

Normally everyone spends a large percentage of every day sleeping and the quality of sleep is important to a person's good health and enjoyment of life. Comfortable pillows and beds are important in establishing restful sleep.

During sleep, a healthy person typically passes through non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and REM sleep. The cycle of non-REM sleep is followed by REM sleep. During REM sleep, the heart rate and breathing quickens and intense dreams may occur providing mentally restorative sleep. Non-REM sleep is typically described as having three stages. During Stage 1, eyes are closed, but it is easy to be awakened. During Stage 2, the heart rate slows and the body temperature drops. During stage 3, deep sleep occurs and if aroused, disorientation occurs for a few minutes. During the deep stages of non-REM sleep, the body repairs and regrows tissues, builds bone and muscle, and strengthens the immune system.

Restfulness and the quality of sleep are dependent upon the comfort of sleepers. When sleepers become uncomfortable, they move to relieve the discomfort and the resulting moves are a normal part of sleep. When sleepers move, they frequently change to lighter levels of sleep (stage 1 or 2 of non-REM sleep) or awaken. The more discomfort sleepers feel, the more they will move and the more time they will spend in lighter and less restful sleep. Good sleeping is normally associated with a low number of body shifts during the sleep period. Shifts due to discomfort caused by beds or pillows are a significant cause of poor sleep quality. On conventional sleep surfaces, most people experience about forty major postural body shifts in the course of a night's sleep. Poor sleepers experience about sixty percent more major shifts than good sleepers. While some shifts during a sleep period are beneficial in relaxing opposing muscle groups, the quality of sleep can be greatly improved for many by reducing the number of shifts caused by discomfort.

There are two major causes of bed-induced shifting, and particularly pillow-induced shifting, which cause poor sleep. As it relates to the head and pillow, the first major cause of shifting is the buildup of pressure on the part of pillows which are too thick or too hard. High compression tends to restrict capillary blood flow which is recognized by the body, after a period of time, as discomfort. The pressure threshold which causes a discontinuance of capillary blood flow is called the ischemic pressure. The ischemic pressure is normally considered to be approximately thirty mmHg. The discontinuance of capillary blood flow is observable as a discolored spot on the skin. After pressure is applied, a spot on the skin is a precursor to tissue damage. When parts of the body are subjected to pressures above the ischemic threshold, discomfort results and, hence, a person shifts to remove the discomfort and threat to tissue damage. For some people, the ears are particularly sensitive to such pressure. As people age, the likelihood of this sensitivity increases as tissues begin to lose their structural integrity and the diameter of the pinna of the ear may expand.

Considering the second major cause of shifting, poor body alignment results from bending of the vertebral column of the body. As it relates to the head and pillow, such bending is typically caused by poorly functioning mattresses and pillows that cause unwanted improper and distorting alignment of the neck and head in one or more sleeping positions, that is, poor musculoskeletal position and alignment occurs. Proper supine (back-lying) position means that the occiput of the head (the protruding back part of the head) comes to rest at some level above the center of the shoulders so that the head and neck are not in an extended or bowed position while at the same time, a proper amount of support is provided to the neck with its natural curvature. For a pillow that provides sleep comfort, a neutral, as if standing in proper alignment, anatomic position is achieved and the natural alignment is evidenced by the chin and brow being at about the same height. When these positions are not achieved, a distorting and unnatural alignment occurs causing discomfort. When these positions are achieved, the head and neck are in a non-distorting aligned position that provides good sleep comfort and good musculoskeletal position and alignment.

Natural, non-distorting alignment allows the neck functions including those of the nerves, tissues, arteries, and the breathing tube (oropharynx and hypopharynx) to perform unstressed and optimally. Natural alignment also reduces stress and reduces compression of the neck and compression of nearby nerves and thus reduces pain and stiffness.

Many pillows have a high concentration of fill in the middle of the pillow, or are otherwise too firm or too thick, and therefore promote extended flexion of the neck so that the head position is extended beyond natural alignment into distorted alignment. This extended head position often impairs breathing and other neck functions leading to worsened snoring and to neck, shoulder and back pain. Also, the extended head position causes wrinkling across the front of the neck and under the chin. The result is a distorting alignment causing discomfort and other unwanted consequences.

In addition to head and body alignment, pillows also have properties that affect cosmetic qualities of skin. The skin, particularly in women wanting delicate and smooth skin features, is susceptible to wrinkling. Facial tissue is particularly susceptible to wrinkling and worsens with aging. Repeated compression of the facial flesh, for example when side-sleeping on a conventional pillow, forms nocturnal creases on each side of the mouth and wrinkling across the upper lip. Pillows as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,380 tend to tighten the facial skin during sleep and hence tend to reduce pillow-induced wrinkling including crow's feet.

Many purchasers and merchants have come to expect pillows to have other “standard properties”. For example, an expectation is that pillows will have standard sizes for use on standard mattresses such as King, Queen, Double and so forth with dimensions that match existing pillow-case sizes. The pillowcase is generally about 4 inches longer than the pillow itself. Typically, a standard size pillow is 20 inches by 26 inches, a queen size pillow is 20 by 30 inches and a king size pillow is 20 by 36 inches. The less common pillow sizes are Euro, which measure 26 inches by 26 inches (down to 16 inches by 16 inches), and travel pillows, which measure 12 inches by 16 inches. While these “standard properties” do not necessarily add to the suitability of a pillow for sleeping, they nonetheless can be important for widespread commercial acceptance of pillows. In general in the United States, pillow users expect that a pillow will be rectangular in cross section (approximately a rectangular solid). These dimensions, however, are not critical and can easily vary by 20% or more.

A number of additional “attributes” are also important for commercial acceptance of pillows. A pillow design desirably meets the needs of a large percentage of the population. The greatest demand is for pillows used on beds that sleep two people side by side. The number of stocking numbers required for a pillow product line is desirably low so that distribution and sale are efficient.

Developments in the parameters of and manufacturing capabilities for polyester, foam, latex and other materials (including beads, seeds and husks) have provided new components for pillows that can be used to better approach the technical parameters desired for pillows at economical costs and which can be manufactured with expected “standard properties” and with the “attributes” for pillows that are desired by the public. The ability to easily wash and dry pillows using conventional home laundry machines is in high demand.

In the present specification, the term “foam” is used in a generic sense to include all substances that trap many gas bubbles in a solid, for example, synthetic and natural rubber, latex, elastomer and polyurethane among others. In the present specification, the term “polyester” means a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in their main chain.

The physical properties of pillow materials include among others Density, Hardness, and Tensile Strength, Indentation Load Deflection (ILD), Compression Load Deflection (IFD or Indentation Force Deflection), Initial Softness Ratio, Resilience (Elasticity), Compression Modulus, Hysteresis Durability and Lifetime. These physical properties are described in United States Patent Application Publication No.: US 2014/0208515 A1 with a Publication Date of Jul. 31, 2014.

The comfort of a head on a pillow is dependent, among other parameters, on the softness of the pillow. The softness of a pillow is determined by the physical properties of the pillow materials and the manner in which the materials are formed and arrayed. Softness is also achieved when the head load is distributed over a larger area of the pillow.

The softness of the pillow is measured by the softness index which correlates with the softness comfort of a head reclining on a pillow.

None of the pillows presently known provide the desired musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure together with softness index and other features preferred by customers or contributing to their sleep and health.

There is a demand by some purchasers for pillows and other products to be produced with materials and processes that are non-toxic, that are not contaminated with pesticides or fertilizers and that are otherwise environmentally protective. Such materials and processes are often described as “green”. Green materials include organic and natural materials. The term “organic” means materials that were once part of something alive. The term “natural” means materials that are grown without the use of chemicals and are not genetically altered.

Green materials and products are often certified by various entities such as the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI).

In consideration of the above background, there is a need for improved pillows that can be economically manufactured utilizing the available physical properties of materials while satisfying the public expectations and demands for pillows.

SUMMARY

The present invention is a pillow for supporting a head and neck of a reclining body on a mattress where the pillow has a pillow length, a pillow width and a pillow thickness. The pillow has a pillow length, a pillow width and a pillow thickness and includes a core extending along the pillow length and the pillow width where the core has a pillow top and a pillow bottom. One or more cavities extend into the core at cavity locations. A core cover extends over the core and over the cavities and forms wells at the cavity locations for supporting the head and neck with comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure. For at least a first cavity of the one or more cavities the core cover is pulled into the first cavity from the pillow top and is fastened in the first cavity providing a gradual slope of the core cover into the first cavity forming a first ear well.

The one or more ear wells formed have sloping walls so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head of the reclined body over the pillow surface. The comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure occurs under the neck and head region, particularly for back-lying bodies, and occurs under and around the ears for side-lying bodies. Typically, the neck and head well is near the long-side center of a rectangular pillow and the ear wells are offset from the head well toward the short-side ends of a rectangular pillow.

For back-lying bodies, the back-lying head well provides a natural curvature allowing the head to recline into the head well while the neck is supported by a neck bridge connecting from the pillow edge to the head well. Typically, the back-lying head well is off centered providing two different neck bridges of different sizes thereby satisfying head and neck dimensions for most of the population.

The back-lying head well supports the head (occiput) prominence so that the head and body tend not to roll to the side and hence tend to avoid twisting of the airway and the resulting reduction of air flow that twisting causes. The back-lying head well supports the neck preventing the head from rotating in the forward direction and in the backward direction. The pillow prevents the chin from dropping downward and back so as to compress the tongue tissues to occlude the airway so that the pillow prevents the reduction of air flow and thereby reduces snoring and possible sleep apnea.

For back-lying bodies, the pillow reduces neck pain because the cervical spine of the body, through the neck to the head, is supported in its natural curvature by the head well and neck bridge rather than having the head bent unnaturally upward and forward. In the unnaturally upward and forward condition, the cervical spine is distorted which allows intervertebral discs to compress asymmetrically producing the likelihood of bulging discs which may impinge upon nearby nerves and cause numbness and pain.

The pillow with the back-lying head well dimensions, has a longer neck bridge and a shorter neck bridge so that the head cavity for the longer neck bridge is a greater distance from the edge of the pillow than the head cavity for the shorter neck bridge. Depending upon the length of a body's head and neck, the appropriate one of the neck bridges is selected which most closely matches the neck length of the body. In this manner, a single pillow with different size neck bridges is suitable for most of the normal population.

For side-lying bodies, the pillow has one or more side-lying ear wells. Typically, the ear wells are near each end of the pillow and allow a side-lying body to place the ear over the ear well. The ear well prevents flattening of the pinna of the ear and any pain and disfigurement therefrom.

The pillow core surrounding the side-lying ear well provides comfortable pressure and supports the jaw so that the jaw does not drop down and back and so that airway patency is not reduced. Since the head and face are near the end of the pillow, there is no or minimal upward pressure on the cheek which would tend to compress the nasal vestibule and reduce nasal airflow. Therefore, ear wells for side-lying bodies reduce or eliminate snoring and possible sleep apnea.

In both back-lying and side-lying positions, the pillow slightly elevates the head while keeping the head in general alignment with the line extension of the thoracic spine. A slightly elevated head is deemed more comfortable by the general population. Perhaps there are sound medical and physical reasons for the comfort associated with an elevated head. One reason is that gravity for an elevated head aids in the nightly removal of metabolites from the brain into the body's lymphatic system (via the glymphatic system). This removal is important because accumulation of metabolites, particular beta amyloids, is believed to be one cause of Alzheimer's disease.

In both back-lying and side-lying positions, the pillow in addition to the mechanical aspects of good sleep and comfort provides beautification elements. When back-lying with the head positioned in the head well, gravity acts on the soft tissues of the face, drawing tissues backward thereby reducing wrinkles which normally form across and perpendicular to the upper lip. This back-lying with the head positioned in the head well also acts to reduce wrinkles in the cheeks which form on each side of the mouth and nose.

Because placement of the head in the head well is similar to the normal, standing position of the head, the wrinkles which would form in the chin and neck in pillows without a head well are not formed or minimized in the pillow of the present invention. Wrinkles that are not formed while sleeping are not present the following morning. While repeated wrinkles formed by conventional pillows may eventually become permanent, the absence of wrinkles from the pillows of the present invention helps lead to the reduction or complete absence of wrinkles.

For back-lying bodies, much of the tissue of the face is not in contact with the pillow surface and therefore there is less likelihood of compression of face tissue and the accompanying retardation of blood flow and distribution of lymph. Poor circulation due to compression of face tissue accounts for blotches often visible in the morning. At a physiological level, repair of tissues hampered by poor circulation promotes tissue healing and retards aging and appearance of aging.

For side-lying bodies, the weight of the head over an ear well is supported primarily by the skull above the eyes and around in front of and behind the ear, not by the soft tissues of the face. Thus these tissues of the face are not subjected to excessive compression, as described above, so that metabolic activity is properly supported.

The material of the pillow can be both natural and manmade. For those people that prefer a “green” product, then a core of latex is preferred together with cotton or other green fabrics. In other embodiments, the material of the pillow core is one or more of fiber-bale, polyester fiber and foam (such as Quilt Flex™ or Hypersoft™ foams). In general, the other embodiments may be washable and dryable by home or other laundry machines.

The pillow body consists of latex, foam or fiber (loose or in matrix) inside a fabric pillow cover.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a top end perspective view of a pillow in a partially cutaway pillow case showing the pillow.

FIG. 2 depicts a top end perspective view of the pillow of FIG. 1 without a pillow case.

FIG. 3 depicts a top end perspective view of the top of the core of the pillow of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow core of FIG. 3 taken along section line 4-4′ of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 depicts a bottom end perspective view of the bottom of the core of the pillow of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow core of FIG. 5 taken along section line 6-6′ of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 depicts a top end perspective view of the pillow of FIG. 2 with cutaway portions of a cover.

FIG. 8 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 7 taken along section line 8-8′ of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 7 taken along section line 9-9′ of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 depicts a perspective photograph of the top of a pillow of the FIG. 7 type.

FIG. 11 depicts a perspective photograph of the bottom of a pillow of the FIG. 7 type.

FIG. 12 depicts a perspective view of a latex embodiment of the pillow of the FIG. 7 type with an outer cover and an inner cover.

FIG. 13 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 12 taken along section line 13-13′ of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 7 taken along section line 14-14′ of FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 14 in an embodiment in which both inner and outer covers are pulled into the ear well.

FIG. 16 depicts a perspective photograph of the top of a pillow of the FIG. 12 type with the outer cover pulled back.

FIG. 17 depicts a perspective photograph of the bottom of a pillow of the FIG. 12 type with the outer cover pulled back.

FIG. 18 depicts a perspective photograph of the bottom of a pillow of the FIG. 12 type.

FIG. 19 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow core of FIG. 3.

FIG. 20 depicts a schematic view of the bottom of the pillow core of FIG. 5.

FIG. 21 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow of FIG. 2 showing in dashed line the location of the head well on the bottom of the pillow core.

FIG. 22 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow of FIG. 2 showing in dashed line the location of the head well on the bottom of the pillow and showing regions around one ear well.

FIG. 23 depicts a side view of a human head skeleton showing the bones of the head.

FIG. 24 depicts a side view of a human head showing the locations of some of the bones of the FIG. 23 skeleton.

FIG. 25 depicts a schematic top view of the top side of the pillow of FIG. 22 showing the head of FIG. 24 side lying with the ear over the ear well.

FIG. 26 depicts a schematic top view of the pillow of FIG. 21 with a back lying head on the top side of the pillow over the head well on the back side of the pillow.

FIG. 27 depicts a male in a back-lying position with the pillow maintaining the head and neck alignment with the head tilted upward at too great an angle.

FIG. 28 depicts a male in a back-lying position with the pillow maintaining natural head and neck alignment with the head on the top over the bottom-side head well.

FIG. 29 depicts a male in a back-lying position with the pillow maintaining natural head and neck alignment with the head on the top over the top-side head well.

FIG. 30 depicts a male in a back-lying position with the pillow with the pillow maintaining a non-natural head and neck alignment with a downward extension.

FIG. 31 depicts a cross-sectional front view of a pillow with a female in a side-lying position with the pillow maintaining natural head and neck alignment and where a cutaway shows the ear positioned over the ear well of the pillow.

FIG. 32 depicts a cross-sectional side view of a pillow with a female in a side-lying position and with the pillow maintaining natural head and neck alignment and showing the ear positioned over the ear well of the pillow.

FIG. 33 depicts a female in a back-lying position with the pillow cooperating with the mattress to maintain natural head and neck alignment.

FIG. 34 depicts a male in a side-lying position with the pillow cooperating with the mattress to maintain natural head and neck alignment.

FIG. 35 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow of the FIG. 22 type, with an additional ear well 3 and an additional ear well 4.

FIG. 36 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow core of FIG. 35 with one corner folded under the bottom along the fold line of FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow of the FIG. 22 type, with two additional ear wells, showing in dashed line the location of the head well on the bottom of the pillow core, showing regions around one ear well and showing a fold line at a second location.

FIG. 38 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow of FIG. 37 with one corner folded under the bottom along the fold line of FIG. 37.

FIG. 39 depicts a cross-sectional front view of a pillow of the FIG. 35 type with a female in a side-lying position with the pillow maintaining natural head and neck alignment and where a cutaway shows the ear positioned over the ear well of the pillow.

FIG. 40 depicts a cross-sectional side view of a pillow of the FIG. 36 type with a female in a side-lying position and with the pillow maintaining natural head and neck alignment and showing the ear positioned over the ear well of the pillow.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1, a top end perspective view of the top 11-5 of a pillow 11 is shown in a partially cutaway pillow case 12. Inside the case 12, the pillow 11 has a normal shape and size essentially in the form of a rectangular solid. An ear well 2 is partially shown. The ear well 2 causes creases or other structural softness away from the ear well.

In FIG. 2, a top end perspective view of the pillow 11 of FIG. 1 is shown without a pillow case. The pillow 11 has a front edge 11-1 and a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. The pillow 11 is rectangular in shape with the front edge 11-1 and back edge 11-2 longer than the side edge 11-3 and side edge 11-4. The pillow 11 has a top 11-5 and a bottom (not shown). The pillow 11 is sized to fit within a conventional pillowcase 12 of FIG. 1. An ear well 1 is toward the side 11-3 and an ear well 2 is toward the side 11-4. The ear well 2 causes creases or other structural softness away from the ear well. The ear well 1 creases or other structural softness are creases 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 and 1-4 caused by the fastener 14 pulling the cover 8 into the ear well 1. The ear well 2 has creases or other structural softness in the form of creases 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 and 2-4 caused by the fastener 15 pulling the cover 8 into the ear well 2. The core 9 typically measures 26 inches by 15.5 inches by 5 inches thick.

In FIG. 3, a front perspective view of the core 9 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 2 is shown with the pillow case 12 removed. The pillow core 9 has a front edge 11-1, a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. An ear well cavity 1A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-3. An ear well cavity 2A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-4. The ear well cavity 1A and the ear well cavity 2A extend from the top 11-5 through to the bottom 11-6 (not shown) of core 9.

In FIG. 4, a front view of a section of the pillow core 9 of FIG. 3 is shown. The section of FIG. 4 is taken along the section line 4-4′ of FIG. 3 that passes through the ear well cavity 2A. The ear well cavity 2A extends from the top 11-5 through to the bottom 11-6 of the core 9. The core 9 is typically about 5 inches thick.

In FIG. 5, a bottom end perspective view of the bottom 11-6 of the core 9 of the pillow of FIG. 2 is shown. The pillow core 9 has a front edge 11-1, a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. An ear well cavity 1A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-3. An ear well cavity 2A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-4. The ear well 2 causes creases or other structural softness away from the ear well. The ear well 1 creases or other structural softness are creases 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 and 1-4 caused by the fastener 14 pulling the cover 8 into the ear well 1. The ear well cavity 1A and the ear well cavity 2A extend from the top 11-5 (not shown) through to the bottom 11-6. Head well cavity 16 is located between the ear well cavity 1A and the ear well cavity 2A. The head well cavity 16 is formed into the core from the pillow bottom 11-6 at a head well cavity location near the center of the pillow core 9 and hence near the center of the pillow of FIG. 2. The ear well cavity 1A and the ear well cavity 2A are adjacent to and in close proximity to the head well cavity 16. The close proximity allows a back-lying (supine) head in head well cavity 16 to rotate easily to a side-lying position with the ear over an adjacent ear well cavity, either ear well cavity 1A or ear well cavity 2A. The ear well cavity 1A establishes in a pillow a first ear well perimeter and ear well cavity 2A establishes in a pillow a second ear well perimeter. Similarly, the head cavity establishes in a pillow a head well perimeter. In order for easy rotation of a head from back-lying to side-lying, the first perimeter and the second perimeter are approximately 1.5 inches from the head cavity perimeter. Generally, the close proximity of the ear well and the head well means that the ear well and the head well perimeters are separated by from 1 inch to 3 inches where 1.5 inches is one preferred embodiment. In general, “in close proximity” means that an ear well is spaced from the head well by a distance that allows s supine head to rotate easily from the back-lying position over a head well to a side-lying position with the ear registering over the ear well.

In FIG. 6, a front view of a section of the pillow core of FIG. 5 is shown. The section of FIG. 6 is taken along the section line 6-6′ of FIG. 5 that passes through the head well cavity 16. The head well cavity 16 extends from the bottom 11-6 of the core 9 but not all the way through to the top of the core 9. The depth of the cavity 16 is typically from 1 to 3 inches. In the embodiment shown, the head well cavity 16 is formed into the core 9 from the pillow bottom 11-6 to approximately 60% of the pillow core 9 thickness and hence approximately 60% of the pillow thickness. The head well cavity has an oval or other smooth perimeter with gradually sloping walls so that support for a back-lying head is smooth particularly when the head is moved such as when the head rotates from a back-lying position to a side-lying position. The head well cavity has a smooth perimeter with gradually sloping walls that extend into the core from the pillow bottom to approximately 60% of the pillow thickness.

In FIG. 7, a top end perspective view of the top 11-5 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 2 is shown with cutaway portions of a cover 8 revealing the core 9. The pillow 11 has a front edge 11-1, a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. An ear well 1 is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-3. An ear well cavity 2A (without cover 8) is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-4. The ear well 2 causes creases or other structural softness away from the ear well. The ear well 1 creases or other structural softness are creases 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 and 1-4 caused by the fastener 14 pulling the cover 8 into the ear well 1. The ear well cavity 2A, as shown in FIG. 7, is not covered by the cover 8. The pillow cover 8 covers the top and bottom of the ear well 2 and, as shown in FIG. 9, penetrates into the ear well 2 from the top 11-5 and from the bottom 11-6. A fastener 15 is sewn to the pillow cover 8 from the top 11-5 to the pillow cover 8 from the bottom 11-6. The core cover 8 has a gradual slope from the top surface 11-5 and from the bottom surface 11-6.

In FIG. 8, a front section view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 7 is shown taken along section line 8-8′ of FIG. 7. The section line 8-8′ in FIG. 7 passes into ear well cavity 2A from the top 11-5 to the bottom 11-6.

In FIG. 9, a front section view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 7 is shown taken along section line 9-9′ of FIG. 7. The section line 9-9′ in FIG. 7 passes through ear well 1. The pillow cover 8 on the top and bottom of the ear well 1 penetrate into the ear well 1 from the top 11-5 and from the bottom 11-6. The penetration into the ear well 1 of the pillow cover 8 is forced by a fastener 14 that engages the first pillow cover 8 from the top 11-5 and from the bottom 11-6. The fastener for ear well 1 is, for example, a button sewn to the pillow cover 8 from the top 11-5 to the bottom 11-6. The ear well 1 formed has sloping walls so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over the ear well 1. While FIG. 7 has only a single pillow cover, a second cover can be added. For example, a first cover can be made so as not to be removable together with a second cover that has a zipper or is otherwise removable for washing or other reasons. These first and second covers are for the pillow which is further covered by a removable pillow case.

In FIG. 10, a perspective photograph of the top 11-5 of a pillow 11 of the FIG. 7 type is shown. The cover 8 is shown stretched over and forming the ear well 1 and the ear well 2 on the top 11-5. The fastener 14 forces the cover 8 into the ear well 1 and the fastener 15 forces the cover 8 into the ear well 2. The ear well 1 and the ear well 2 formed have sloping walls so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over the ear well 1 or the ear well 2. In one embodiment, the cover 8 is 400 thread count cotton knit satin finish fabric. In one embodiment, the fasteners 14 and 15 are buttons made from plastic or other button material.

In FIG. 11, a perspective photograph of the bottom 11-6 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 10 is shown. The cover 8 is shown stretched over and forming the ear well 1 and the ear well 2 on the bottom 11-6. The fastener 14 (see FIG. 10) forces the cover 8 into the ear well 1 and the fastener 15 (see FIG. 10) forces the cover 8 into the ear well 2 on the bottom 11-6. The ear well 1 and the ear well 2 from the bottom 11-6 are formed having sloping walls so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over the ear well 1 or the ear well 2 when the pillow 11 is used with the top 11-5 down with the head on the bottom 11-6. A dotted line has been added to the photograph to show the location of the head well 16.

In FIG. 12, a top end perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the pillow 11 of FIG. 7 is shown with cutaway portions of a first inner cover 7 and a second outer cover 8 revealing the core 9. The pillow 11 has a front edge 11-1, a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. An ear well 1 is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-3. An ear well cavity 2A (without cover 8) is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-4. The ear well cavity 2A, as shown in FIG. 13, is covered by only the first cover 7. The first cover 7, without the second cover 8, penetrates into the ear well cavity (like the cavity 2A in FIG. 4). The ear well 1 has the cover 7 (and not the cover 8) depressed into the pillow 11 by button 14 to form the ear well 1. The cover 7 and the cover 8 allow an ear to penetrate into the ear well 1 and ear well 2. The ear well 1 under the soft and pliable cover 8 has sloping walls so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over cover 7, cover 8 and the ear well 1. In Latex embodiments, the inner cover 7 functions to cover the latex with a smooth fabric that overcomes the surface drag of the latex. The cover 7 tightly covers the latex of the core 9 and allows the outer cover 8 to slide easily over the cover 7. The easy sliding of cover 8 over cover 7 provides a better feeling to the pillow as a whole and also facilitates removal of the outer cover for washing and for restoration of the outer cover over the inner cover after removal.

In FIG. 12, the pillow core 9 in one embodiment is made of latex. For green products, the latex is derived from organically grown trees. The core 9 has an Indentation Load Deflection (ILD) value ranging from 14 ILD to 23 ILD with one preferred ILD value of 19 ILD. For latex cores, the core 9 is typically made using a mold where liquid latex is poured into the mold and allowed to cure. The holes 9-1 in the core 9 result from the pins used in the mold to help cure the latex forming the core 9. The core 9 typically measures 26 inches by 15.5 inches. The latex core 9 when coupled with natural fabrics for the cover 7, cover 8 and pillow case 11 forms an all-natural pillow which is highly desired by those encouraging or demanding “green” products.

In FIG. 13, a front section view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 12 is shown taken along section line 13-13′ of FIG. 12. The section line 13-13′ in FIG. 12 passes into ear well 2A. The first pillow cover 7 penetrates into the ear well 2 on the top 11-5 and on the bottom 11-6 as held by button 15.7

In FIG. 14, a front section view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 12 is shown taken along section line 14-14′ of FIG. 12. The section line 14-14′ in FIG. 12 passes through ear well 1. The first pillow cover 7 and (and not cover 8) on the top and bottom of the ear well 1 penetrates into the ear well 1 from the top 11-5 and from the bottom 11-6. The penetration into the ear well 1 of the first pillow cover 7 is forced by the fastener 14 that engages the first pillow cover 7 from the top 11-5 and from the bottom 11-6. The fastener 14 for ear well 1 is, for example, a button sewn to the first pillow cover 7 from the top 11-5 to the bottom 11-6. The ear well 1 is formed has sloping walls so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over the ear well 1. In one typical embodiment, the inner cover 7 is a single jersey knit organic cotton with 130 gsm (grams per square meter). In one embodiment, the outer cover 8 is 400 thread count organic cotton knit satin finish fabric. While cover 8 is not pulled into the ear well cavity, the fabric is soft and pliable so as to fall into the ear well when pushed by an ear. In one embodiment, the fastener 14 is a button made out of coconut shell.

In FIG. 15, a front view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 14 is shown in an embodiment in which both inner cover 7 and outer cover 8 are pulled into the ear well 1. In non-Latex embodiments, the inner cover 7, when two covers are used, functions to cover a core 9 with a fabric that maintains the structural integrity of the pillow. The inner cover fabric is typically a non-stretch fabric such as cotton. An outer cover in some embodiments is provided over the inner cover. The outer cover 8 over an inner cover 7 provides a better feeling to the pillow as a whole. Usually the outer cover is removable for washing and the inner cover is not.

In FIG. 16, a perspective photograph of the top 11-5 of a pillow 11 of the FIG. 12 type is shown with the top cover 8 rolled back. The inner cover 7 is shown stretched over and forming the ear well 2. The fastener 15 forces the cover 7 into the ear well 2. The ear well 2 formed has sloping walls so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over the ear well 2. In one typical embodiment, the inner cover 7 is a single jersey knit organic cotton with 130 gsm (grams per square meter). In one embodiment, the outer cover 8 is 400 thread count organic cotton knit satin finish fabric. In one embodiment, the fastener 15 is a button made out of coconut shell.

In FIG. 17, a perspective photograph of the bottom 11-6 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 16 is shown with the top cover 8 rolled back. With the inner cover 7 a single jersey knit organic cotton of 130 gsm, the holes 9-1 in the latex core are observable together with the ear well 2 and the head well 16. The ear well 2 formed has sloping walls as shown in FIG. 14 so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over the ear well 2. Similarly, the head well 16 has sloping walls that cradle the head when the head is positioned over the head well 16.

In FIG. 18, a perspective photograph of the bottom 11-6 of a pillow 11 of the FIG. 12 type is shown with the top cover 8 in place. Dotted lines have been added to the photograph to show the location of the ear wells 1 and 2 and the head well 16.

In FIG. 19, a schematic view of the top 11-5 of the pillow core 9 of FIG. 3 is shown. The pillow core 9 has a front edge 11-1, a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. An ear well cavity 1A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-3. An ear well cavity 2A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-4. In a typical embodiment, the ear well cavity 1A and ear well cavity 2A are generally oval or rounded rectangle in shape with major diameters of 4.5 inches and minor diameters of 3 inches. The core 9 typically measures 26 inches by 15.5 inches. Typically, the center of the ear well cavity 2A is located 6 inches from the front edge 11-1 and 6.5 inches from the side edge 11-4. Similarly and typically, the center of the ear well cavity 1A is located 6 inches from the front edge 11-1 and 6.5 inches from the side edge 11-3. While the dimensions described above reflect one preferred embodiment, variations of 10% to 20% or more are included. For example, the first cavity 1A and the second cavity 2A have a cavity center, each cavity center offset from a first pillow edge 11-1 along a first length side within approximately 5 to 7 inches and each cavity center offset from pillow edges along width sides 11-3 and 11-4 within approximately 5.5 to 7.5 inches.

In FIG. 20, a schematic view of the bottom 11-6 of the pillow core 9 of FIG. 3 is shown. The pillow core 9 has a front edge 11-1, a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. An ear well cavity 1A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-3. An ear well cavity 2A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-4. In a typical embodiment, the ear well cavity 1A and ear well cavity 2A are generally oval or rounded rectangle in shape with major diameters of 4.5 inches and minor diameters of 3 inches. The core 9 typically measures 26 inches by 15.5 inches. Typically, the center of the ear well cavity 2A is located 6 inches from the front edge 11-1 and 6.5 inches from the side edge 11-4. Similarly and typically, the center of the ear well cavity 1A is located 6 inches from the front edge 11-1 and 6.5 inches from the side edge 11-3. In FIG. 20, the head well cavity 16 is centered between the side edges 11-3 and 11-4 and is typically 2.75 inches from the front edge 11-1 and 3.75 inches from a back edge 11-2. The perimeter in one embodiment is an oval, or other smooth shape, with a minor diameter of 7 inches and a major diameter of 9 inches. In general, the perimeter of the head well cavity 16 has major and minor dimensions within measurements of approximately 6.5 inches by 10.5 inches. While the dimensions described above reflect preferred embodiments, variations of 10% to 20% or more are included. For example, the ear cavities in one preferred embodiment are rounded rectangles with major and minor dimensions measuring 3 inches by 4.5 inches. In general, the ear well cavities have major and minor dimensions within measurements of approximately 2.5 inches by 5 inches. Similarly, other dimensions described vary from of 10% to 20% or more.

In FIG. 21, a schematic top view of the top side 11-5 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 2 is shown. The pillow 11 has a front edge 11-1 and a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4.

The pillow 11 is rectangular in shape with the front edge 11-1 and back edge 11-2 longer than the side edge 11-3 and side edge 11-4. The pillow 11 has a top 11-5. An ear well 1 is toward the side 11-3 and an ear well 2 is toward the side 11-4. The ear well 1 has the cover 8 depressed into the pillow by the fastener 14 to form ear well 1. The depression of ear well 1 into the pillow causes a crease 1-3 or other structural softness from the ear well 1 to the edge 11-3 and causes a crease 1-4 or other structural softness from the ear well 1 to the edge 1. The ear well 1 additionally has a crease 1-1 or other structural softness extending toward ear well 16 and a crease 1-2 or other structural softness extending toward the side 11-2. The ear well 2 has the cover 8 depressed into the pillow by the fastener 15 to form an ear well. The depression of ear well 2 into the pillow causes a crease 2-3 or other structural softness from the ear well 2 to the edge 11-4 and causes a crease 2-4 or other structural softness from the ear well 2 to the edge 1. The top 11-5 of pillow 11 does not appear to have a head well. For purpose of explanation, the location of the head well 16 as it exists extending into the pillow core from the bottom is shown by a dashed line.

In FIG. 22, a schematic top view of the top side 11-5 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 2 is shown the same as in FIG. 12. The pillow 11 has regions around the ear well 1. The ear well region 31 protrudes deeply into the pillow so as to provide very little support. The upper region 32 is generally above the ear well region 31 and between the head well area 16 and edge 11-3. The region 32 provides full support and is not interrupted by additional ear wells or other irregularities. The back region 33 is between the head well 16 and the ear well region 31. While region 33 provides support, the support is lessened by reduced support over the head well region 16 and the ear well region 31. The front region 34 provides support between the ear well region 31 and the edge 11-3. The region 34 is lower than region 32 because it lies over the crease 1-3. The lower region 30 is between the ear well region 31 and the edge 11-3 and edge 11-1, between crease 1-3 and 1-4. The regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 are designed to provide support for a side lying head with the ear positioned over the ear well 1 and the face toward the edge 11-3. The support provided to a head provides the head in a position that provides comfort and proper alignment. In FIG. 13, the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 are about ear well 1 for a side lying head facing edge 11-3. In a similar manner, regions like the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 are also around the ear well 2 for supporting a side lying head facing the edge 11-4.

In FIG. 23, a side view of a skeleton of a human head 36 is shown identifying the bones of the head. A human skull 40 contains 22 bones with 8 bones in the cranium 40-1 and 14 bones in the face 40-2 in the lower front of the skull 40. The two parietal bones 41, only one shown in FIG. 14, form the largest part of the top and sides of the cranium 40-1. Each one of the parietal bones 41 is shaped roughly like a curved rectangle. The single occipital bone 42 forms the back of the skull 40 and the base of the cranium 40-1. The occipital bone 42 is pierced by a large oval hole (the foramen magnum) through which runs the spinal cord. The two temporal bones 43, only one shown in FIG. 23, in the cranium 40-1 each supports part of the face known as the temple. The temporal bones 43 are crucial in the anatomy of the ears. The single mandible bone 44 (jawbone) is the lower part of the face 40-2. The frontal bone 45 is one of the major bones of the cranium 40-1 and comprises the forehead (squama frontalis) and the upper orbits of the eyes (pars orbitalis). The zygomatic bones (cheek bones) 46, only one shown in FIG. 23, are offset from the temporal bones 43 by the sphenoid bone 47.

In FIG. 24, a side view of a human head 36 is shown showing the locations of the bones of the FIG. 23 skeleton around an ear 51 and an ear well 1. The parietal bone 41, the occipital bone 42, the temporal bone 43, the mandible bone 44 (jawbone), the frontal bone 45, the zygomatic bone (cheek bone) 46, and the sphenoid bone 47 are shown. In addition to the bones, FIG. 24 depicts the soft tissue region 446 that extends from the region 45 above the eye socket to the bottom of the jawbone 44. The soft tissue region 446 is susceptible to wrinkling caused by pressure from a pillow

In FIG. 25, a schematic top view of the top side 11-5 of the pillow 11 of the FIG. 22 type is shown depicting the head 36 of FIG. 24 side lying with the ear 51 over the ear well region 31. Similarly, the parietal bone 41 and the frontal bone 45 are over the upper region 32. The region 32 provides full support and is not interrupted by additional ear wells or other irregularities. The occipital bone 42 is over the back region 33 between the head well 16 and the ear well region 32. Because the head 36 extends slightly over the edge of the head well region 16, the support at the back of the head 36 is slightly less than the support in the upper region 32. The side lying portion of the frontal bone 45 is supported by the upper region 32. The temporal bone 43 is over the upper region 32, the ear well region 31 and the front region 34 so that head is well supported around the front of the ear well region 31. Similarly, the sphenoid bone 47 is over the upper region 32 and the front region 34 so that head is well supported in front of the ear well region 31. The zygomatic bone (cheek bone) 46 is over the front region 34. The zygomatic bone 46 is prominent and tends to protrude from a side lying face. The front region 34 however tends to be recessed due to the crease 1-3, or other structural softness between the ear well and the pillow side, and hence reduces the local pressure on the protruding zygomatic bone (cheek bone) 46. The mandible bone 44 (jawbone) is supported by the lower region 30 between the ear well region 31 and the edge 11-3 and edge 11-1 and between crease 1-3 and 1-4. Because the mandible bone 44 for a side lying person is lower than the other bones, the head 36 tends to rotate slightly downward about the ear well region 31 to allow the mandible bone 44 to engage the region 30.

In FIG. 25, the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 cooperate to provide support for the side lying head 36 with the ear positioned over the ear well 1 and facing the edge 11-3. The head 36 is supported in a position that provides good sleep comfort, good musculoskeletal position and good alignment.

In FIG. 25, a head in a side lying position facing the edge 11-4 has regions like the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 for ear well 1 so that a side lying head facing the edge 11-4 is supported in a position that provides good sleep comfort, good musculoskeletal position and good alignment.

The manner in which pillow 11 achieves good comfort, position and alignment is evident in FIG. 25. The head 36 has the bones, as identified in FIG. 23, supported by the regions identified in FIG. 22. The eye sockets are formed by the frontal bones 45 and zygomatic 46. The parietal bone 41, the sphenoid bone 47 and the temporal bone 43 are supported by the extended parietal region 32 (for generally bones 41, 43 and 47) and the zygomatic region 34. The top of the zygomatic region 34 is lower than, or less supportive than the extended parietal region 32 because of the creases 1-3 or other structural softness between the ear well 1 and the pillow edge 11-3. Therefore, the support for the cheek bone 46 by the zygomatic region 34 tends to allow the cheek bone 46 to have a slight dip with reduced pressure against the soft tissues of the face. The extended parietal region 32 and the occipital region 33 are large regions supporting the back and side portions of the head 36 including the parietal bone 41 and occipital bone 42. The mandible bone 44 (jawbone) is supported by the mandible region 30 between the ear well region 31 and the edge 11-3 and edge 11-1 and between crease 1-3 and 1-4. The mandible region 30 is formed from the ear well 1 toward the intersection of the closest pillow sides 11-1 and 11-3. Because the mandible bone 44 for a side lying person is lower than the other bones, the head 36 tends to rotate slightly downward about the ear well region 31 to allow the mandible bone 44 to engage the mandible region 30. When the head 36 is positioned as shown in FIG. 25 with the ear 51 over the ear well 1, the structural support of the regions of FIG. 22 interact to support the head 36 so that pressure against the soft facial tissues in the soft tissue region 446 (see FIG. 24) is reduced. The soft facial tissues in the soft tissue region 446 with an ordinary pillow tend to be compressed with pressure over time causing wrinkles. The distribution of the structural supports in pillow 11 reduces compression and pressure on the soft tissue region 446 thereby reducing wrinkles and compression spots and thereby providing a “beauty pillow”.

In FIG. 26, a schematic top view of the top side 11-5 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 21 is shown depicting the head 36 of FIG. 24 back lying with the back of the head 36 over the head well region 16. While the head in the embodiment shown in FIG. 26 is on the top 11-5 of the pillow 11, the head well cavity 16 on the back side of pillow 11 allows the head 36 to sink downward into the pillow to support the head to provide good sleep comfort, good musculoskeletal position and good alignment. As shown in FIG. 26, the head well 16 is 2.75 inches from the edge 11-1 and 3.75 inches from the edge 11-2. For a back-lying body from the 11-1 side has a shorter 2.75 inches support while the back-lying body from the 11-2 side has a longer 3.75 inches support. Similarly, a head lying on the back 11-6 feels different support from a head lying on the top 11-5. These different dimensions allow a user to select pillow orientations most comfortable to the user.

While the embodiments described in connection with FIG. 25 and FIG. 26 position the head 36 on the top 11-5 of the pillow 11, the pillow 11 can be turned over so that the head 36 is positioned on the upward facing bottom 11-6 of pillow 11. With such reversal with the bottom 11-6 facing upward, the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 for ear well 1 and similar regions for ear well 2 are essentially the same. However, the region 16 for a back lying head differs so that different comfort levels are provided for back lying positions. By rotating and/or flipping the pillow, there are 4 different positions and support levels for the neck bridge that are available for subjects in supine sleeping.

In FIG. 27, a male 35 in a back-lying position with the pillow 11′ maintaining the head and neck alignment with the head tilted upward and out of natural alignment at an angle A27, approximately 28°, so that a comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure is not achieved.

In FIG. 28, a male 35 in a back-lying position is shown with the pillow 11 maintaining natural head and neck alignment with the head 35 on the top 11-5 of pillow 11 over head well 16. The head well 16 is present in the bottom 11-6 of pillow 11. The head of male 35 is at an angle A28, approximately 19°.

In FIG. 29, a male 35 in a back-lying position is shown with the pillow 11 maintaining natural head and neck alignment with the head 35 over head well 16. Although the head well 16 is present in the bottom 11-6 of pillow 11, the pillow 11 has been turned over so that the bottom 11-6 is on the top for receiving the head 35. The head of male 35 is at an angle A29, approximately 10° . The angle A29 is less than the angle A28. FIG. 28 and FIG. 29 demonstrate that different supporting angles are achieved by reversing the side of the pillow which is up and in contact with the head.

In FIG. 30, a male 35 in a back-lying position is shown with a too-soft pillow 11″ causing a downward extension of the head of male body 35 at an angle A30, approximately −10°, so that comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure is not achieved.

In FIG. 31, a partially cutaway end view of a pillow 11 with pillow case 12 is shown with a female body 36 in a side-lying position. The pillow 11 maintains natural head and neck alignment. The pillow 11 is within a pillowcase 12 where the cutaway section of the pillow case shows body 36 positioned such that the ear will be over the ear cavity 2 (internal to the pillow and shown dashed line for representation). The face of the body 36 faces toward the side edge 11-4, between edges 11-1 and 11-2, of the pillow 11 at an angle A31 typically 20°. The weight of the head 36 located around the ear cavity 2 is supported by the skull above the eyes and around, in front of and behind the ear as described in connection with FIG. 25. In this manner, pressure on the soft tissues of the face is reduced. When these tissues of the face are not subjected to undue compression, metabolic activity is properly achieved so that comfortable musculoskeletal position and alignment are achieved.

In FIG. 32, an edge 11-2 view of a pillow 11 with pillow case 12 is shown with a female body 36 in a side-lying position. The pillowcase 12 is cutaway to show body 36 positioned such that the ear 36-1 is over the ear well 2 (internal to the pillow and shown with a dashed line). The face of the body 36 faces toward the top edge 11-4. The soft facial tissue 36-2 of the body 36 tends not to be pushed or pushed with reduced force against the pillow 11.

The weight of the head 36 over and about the ear well 2 is supported primarily by the skull above the eyes, around, in front of and behind the ear and less than by the soft tissues 36-2 of the face. The head 36 has a slope angle A32 which is, for example, approximately 6° to 8°.Gravity acts to draw the head 36 forward in the direction of side edge 11-4 thereby gently drawing the side facial tissues 36-2 toward the back of the skull 36-3, opening the nasal vestibule, and thereby increasing air flow. As a result, face tissues 36-2 are not subjected to compression or have reduced compression so that metabolic activity is properly supported and comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure are achieved.

In FIG. 33, a female body 36 is shown in a back-lying position with the pillow 11 cooperating with the mattress 57 to maintain natural head and neck alignment. The head of body 36 is placed on the top 11-5 over the head well 16 which extends into the pillow from the bottom 11-6. The head is at a slight upward angle A33 to achieve comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure. The angle A33 is typically 21°.

In FIG. 34, a male 35 is shown in a side-lying position with the pillow 11 cooperating with the mattress 57 to maintain natural head and neck alignment. The head of body 35 is placed such that the ear is over the ear cavity 2 (internal to the pillow and shown dashed line for representation). The face of the body 35 faces toward the side edge 11-4, between edges 11-1 and 11-2, of the pillow 11 at an angle A34, typically 20°. The weight of the head 35 located around the ear cavity 2 is supported by the skull above the eyes and around, in front of and behind the ear as described in connection with FIG. 25. In this manner, pressure on the soft tissues of the face is reduced. When these tissues of the face are not subjected to undue compression, metabolic activity is properly supported and comfortable musculoskeletal position and alignment are achieved.

In FIG. 35, a schematic view of the top 11-5 of the pillow of the FIG. 22 type, is shown with an additional ear well 3 and an additional ear well 4. A dashed line shows the location of the head well 16 on the bottom of the pillow 11. The pillow 11 has regions around the ear well 1. The ear well region 31 protrudes deeply into the pillow so as to provide very little support. The upper region 32 is generally above the ear well region 31 and between the head well area 16 and edge 11-3. The region 32 provides support but is interrupted by the additional ear well 4. The back region 33 is between the head well 16 and the ear well region 31. While region 33 provides support, the support is lessened by reduced support over the head well region 16 and the ear well region 31. The front region 34 provides support between the ear well region 31 and the edge 11-3. The region 34 is lower than region 32 because it lies over the crease 1-3. The lower region 30 is between the ear well region 31 and the edge 11-3 and edge 11-1, between crease 1-3 and 1-4. The regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 are designed to provide support for a side lying head with the ear positioned over the ear well 1 and the face toward the edge 11-3. The support provided to a head provides the head in a position that provides comfort and proper alignment. In FIG. 35, the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 are about ear well 1 for a side lying head facing edge 11-3. In a similar manner, regions like the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 are also around the ear well 2 for supporting a side lying head facing the edge 11-4. The ear well 4 can reduce somewhat the support of the region 32. An imaginary line 101-5 transcends the pillow 11 from side 11-2 to side 11-3 and through the center of ear well 4. The line 101-5 is a fold line along which the pillow 11 can be folded to increase the support of the pillow generally under the region 32. In one embodiment, a stitch 201-5 or other fold marker is made in edge 11-2 and a stitch 301-5 or other fold marker in edge 11-3 act as marker to indicate convenient places to mark the fold.

In FIG. 36, a schematic view of the top 11-5 of the pillow of FIG. 35 is shown with the side 11-2 and side 11-3 corner 101-6 folded under the bottom of pillow 11 along the fold line 101-5 of FIG. 35. When folded, the pillow provides more support generally under the region 32.

In FIG. 37, a schematic view of the top of the pillow 11 of the FIG. 35 type is shown. FIG. 37 differs from FIG. 35 in that the fold line 101-7 in FIG. 37 is offset from the center of the ear well 4, as indicated by button 14-1, while line 101-5 in FIG. 35 runs approximately through the center.

In FIG. 38, a schematic view of the top 11-5 of the pillow of FIG. 37 is shown with the side 11-2 and side 11-3 corner 101-8 folded under the bottom of pillow 11 along the fold line 101-7 of FIG. 37. When folded, the pillow 11 of FIG. 38 provides support generally under the region 32, but the support of FIG. 38 is somewhat less than the support under the folded pillow of FIG. 36.

In FIG. 39, a partially cutaway end view of a pillow 11 of FIG. 37 with pillow case 12 is shown with a female body 36 in a side-lying position. The pillow 11 maintains natural head and neck alignment. The pillow 11 is within a pillowcase 12 where the cutaway section of the pillow case shows body 36 positioned such that the ear will be over the ear cavity 2 (internal to the pillow and shown dashed line for representation). The face of the body 36 faces toward the side edge 11-4, between edges 11-1 and 11-2, of the pillow 11. The weight of the head 36 located around the ear cavity 2 is supported by the skull above the eyes and around, in front of and behind the ear. In this manner, pressure on the soft tissues of the face is reduced. When these tissues of the face are not subjected to undue compression, metabolic activity is properly achieved so that comfortable musculoskeletal position and alignment are achieved. With the pillow 11 of FIG. 37 not folded, the support causes head 36 to be inclined at an angle A39, typically about 20°.

In FIG. 40, a view of the pillow 11 of FIG. 39 is shown with the pillow corner folded under along line 101-7 (see FIG. 38). With the pillow 11 of FIG. 37 folded, the support causes head 36 to be inclined at an angle A40, typically about 30°.

In accordance with the present invention for supine lying, the neck is supported to cause the head to be positioned like the head is positioned when standing so as reduce wrinkles across the chin and neck. With this positioning, the chin is up relative to conventional pillows and tends to open the airway for greater blood-oxygen saturation and tends to reduce the likelihood of snoring.

In accordance with the present invention for side lying, the head and neck are positioned to distribute support of the head on the bone prominences of the skull and therefore to reduce pressure on the soft tissue areas of the face. The pressure is reduced across the upper lip and the behind the eye sockets reducing the formation of “crow's feet”. Additionally, the ear wells reduce pressure, pain and discomfort on and around the pinna of the ear. There is a reduction of pressure below the ischemic pressure so that there is a reduction in discomfort, pain, wrinkles and expansion or enlargement of the pinna.

In connection with embodiments of the present invention and particularly in connection with FIG. 27 through FIG. 34, FIG. 31, FIG. 32, FIG. 39 and FIG. 40 various angles have been identified. While these angles are typical, the angles may vary from the identified values by 10% to 20% or more depending on the particular body, body position, head shape, head size and orientation of the pillow. Also, during side sleeping, the degree of softness of the mattress under the shoulder has an effect on the angle achieved by the pillow features, especially as to the angle of the head and cervical spine. A soft mattress will allow the thoracic spine to curve less and the neck to curve more. A hard mattress will allow the thoracic spine to curve much more and the cervical spine to curve very little from an extension of the thoracic spine.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention. 

1. A pillow for supporting a head and neck of a reclining body where the pillow has a pillow length, a pillow width and a pillow thickness comprising: a core extending along the pillow length and the pillow width, the core having a pillow top and a pillow bottom, one or more cavities extending into the core at cavity locations, a first core cover extending over the core and over the cavities and forming wells at the cavity locations for supporting the head and neck with comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure where for at least a first cavity of the one or more cavities the core cover is pulled into the first cavity from the pillow top and is fastened in the first cavity providing a gradual slope of the core cover into the first cavity forming a first ear well.
 2. The pillow of claim 1 wherein a head cavity is formed into the core at a head cavity location near the center of the pillow.
 3. The pillow of claim 2 wherein the head cavity has a smooth perimeter with gradually sloping walls that extend into the core from the pillow bottom to approximately 60% of the pillow thickness.
 4. The pillow of claim 2 wherein the one or more cavities include the first cavity and a second cavity where the first cavity and the second cavity extend through the core from the pillow top to the pillow bottom where the first cavity is at a first cavity location and where the second cavity is at a second cavity location and where the first cavity location and the second cavity location are in close proximity to the head cavity.
 5. The pillow of claim 4 wherein the first cavity has a first perimeter, the second cavity has a second perimeter and the head cavity has a head cavity perimeter and wherein the first perimeter and the second perimeter are approximately 1.5 inches from the head cavity perimeter.
 6. The pillow of claim 4 wherein the core cover in each cavity is pulled from the pillow top and from the pillow bottom and wherein the core cover from the pillow top is fastened in each cavity to the core cover from the pillow bottom and wherein the core cover in each cavity has a gradual slope from the top surface and from the bottom surface into each cavity to form an ear well from the pillow top and an ear well from the pillow bottom.
 7. The pillow of claim 6 wherein the core cover in each cavity from the pillow top is fastened to the core cover from the pillow bottom with a fastener.
 8. The pillow of claim 4 wherein the first cavity and the second cavity each measure with dimensions within approximately 2.5 inches by 5 inches.
 9. The pillow of claim 4 wherein the first cavity and the second cavity have a cavity center, each cavity center offset from a first pillow edge along a first length side within approximately 5 to 7 inches and each cavity center offset from pillow edges along width sides within approximately 5.5 to 7.5 inches.
 10. The pillow of claim 9 wherein the head cavity is within a measurement of approximately 6.5 inches by 10.5 inches.
 11. The pillow of claim 10 wherein the head cavity is offset from the first pillow edge along the first length side within approximately 1.75 inches to 3.75 inches whereby a first neck bridge is formed and is offset from a second pillow edge along a second length side within a dimension of approximately 2.75 by 4.75 inches whereby a second neck bridge is formed where the second neck bridge is larger than the first neck bridge.
 12. The pillow of claim 1 wherein an outer core cover extends over the first core cover.
 13. A pillow for supporting a head and neck of a reclining body where the pillow has a pillow length, a pillow width and a pillow thickness comprising, a core extending along the pillow length and the pillow width with the pillow thickness, the core having a pillow top and a pillow bottom, having a first ear cavity and a second ear cavity, each ear cavity extending through the core from the pillow top to the pillow bottom at a first cavity location and at a second cavity location, respectively, and having a head cavity extending from the pillow bottom partway through the core, an inner core cover and an outer core cover extending around the core where, for the first cavity and for the second cavity, the inner core cover is pulled into the first cavity and into the second cavity from the pillow top at the first cavity location and at the second cavity location, respectively, and is fastened in the first cavity and in the second cavity, respectively, providing a gradual slope of the inner core cover into the first cavity and into the second cavity, respectively, forming a first ear well and forming a second ear well, respectively.
 14. The pillow of claim 13 wherein the inner core cover from the top is fastened to the inner core cover from the bottom whereby the first ear well has a gradual slope of the inner core cover into the first cavity from both the pillow top and the pillow bottom.
 15. The pillow of claim 13 wherein the outer core cover is pulled into the first cavity with the inner core cover from the pillow top at the first cavity location and is fastened in the first cavity providing a gradual slope of the inner core cover and the outer core cover into the first cavity forming the first ear well.
 16. The pillow of claim 15 wherein the core has an Indentation Load Deflection (ILD) value of
 19. 17. The pillow of claim 15 wherein the inner cover is a 130 gsm jersey knit organic cotton and the outer cover is a 400 thread count organic cotton knit with a satin finish.
 18. A pillow for supporting a head and neck of a reclining body where the pillow has a pillow length, a pillow width and a pillow thickness comprising, a core extending along the pillow length and the pillow width with the pillow thickness, the core having a pillow top and a pillow bottom, having a first ear cavity and a second ear cavity, each ear cavity extending through the core from the pillow top to the pillow bottom at a first cavity location and at a second cavity location, respectively, and having a head cavity extending partway through the core, an inner core cover and an outer core cover extending around the core where, for the first cavity and for the second cavity, the inner core cover is pulled into the first cavity and into the second cavity from the pillow top at the first cavity location and at the second cavity location, respectively, and is fastened in the first cavity and in the second cavity, respectively, providing a gradual slope of the inner core cover into the first cavity and into the second cavity, respectively, forming a first ear well and forming a second ear well, respectively, wherein the first ear well and the second ear well are in close proximity to the head cavity.
 19. The pillow of claim 18 wherein the head cavity has a smooth perimeter with gradually sloping walls that extend into the core from the pillow bottom to approximately 60% of the pillow thickness.
 20. The pillow of claim 18 wherein for at least said first ear well, an extended parietal region is formed above the first ear well, an occipital region is formed between the first ear well and the head well, a zygomatic region is formed between the first ear well and the intersection of the closest pillow sides, a mandible region is formed from the first ear well toward the intersection of the closest pillow sides, a soft tissue region extending over the extended parietal region, the occipital region, the zygomatic region and the mandible region for receiving the soft tissue of the face of the reclining body where when an ear of the side-lying body is over the first ear well, the pressure on the soft tissue of the face is reduced. 